It’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week – Why Does it Still Matter?

centers for disease control, chemical safety, epa, housing and urban development, Jim Jones, lead, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 1 Comment

The use of lead in residential paints and lead in gasoline was banned in the 1970’s, so why do we keep talking about the problem of lead in paint?

The fact is that lead in paint is still in homes built before 1978. It’s still there in millions of homes, sometimes under layers of newer paint. It’s still a hazard in deteriorating lead-based paint (peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged or damp paint, or in paint dust) and needs immediate attention.

Also, every time I look around, we are finding out more about how subtle and damaging the effects of lead can be. Even low-level lead exposure at a young age can result in a range of irreversible and untreatable lifelong health and developmental issues, such as lowered IQ, shortened attention span, and behavioral issues. Children suffering from lead poisoning or exposure can have diminished opportunities and well-being, burdening both families and societies.

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